Cabaret

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT CABARET - PAGE 5

`Puss in Boots' The lowdown -- See a British-style pantomime version of Puss in Boots, written and directed by Peabody Opera Theatre director Roger Brunyate, starting today at Theatre Project. The interactive, family-friendly production tells the story of the miller's son and the titular feline. James Kinstle of the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival stars as the Dame, and Maryland Institute College of Art's Kali Ciesemier created the stage sets. If you go -- The production runs today through Jan. 6 at Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. Showtimes vary.

Summer theater -- Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre presents Cabaret at 8:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays from Aug. 4 to Sept. 2 at 143 Compromise St. The musical tells the story of turmoil in the lives of Berlin residents in the era leading up to World War II. Tickets are $15, and $12 for seniors, children older than 5 and those in groups of 20 or more. Children younger than 5 are not admitted. 410-268-9212 or www.summergarden.com.

The premiere of a new play about the gulf war and its ramifications, "Saddam," will open on May 17 for a four-week run at the Fells Point Cabaret Theatre, 723 S. Broadway.Conceived by producer Howard Perloff and written by playwright Michael Elkin, the work with a cast of five characters, is the first Equity production staged by the local theater group.A new stage and lighting system has been installed in the venue, which formerly presented audience participation productions.

Kurt Weill, who was born 100 years ago and died 50 years ago, left an extraordinary mark on the 20th century. Keenly aware of how the darkest impulses of human nature were being unleashed in the early decades of the century, Weill used music -- and piercing texts by the likes of Bertold Brecht -- as a means of analysis and protest. From full-scale satire and irony in such music-theater classics as "The Three-Penny Opera" and "Mahagonny" to intimate cabaret songs, Weill's creations have a uniquely affecting power.

Who knew school could be so much fun? At "Cabaret for Kids," formally clad guests toured the Children's Guild Baltimore school, finding new adventures around every corner. In one hallway, an a capella group from Johns Hopkins University, the All Nighters, serenaded. Around the corner, a tarot card reader awaited. Buffets lined some corridors, while a magician roamed others. And this was only the warm-up. The big show was yet to come: a cabaret performance by guild faculty members and supporters.

"If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere." "Life is a cabaret." When you hear these phrases, the music sounds in your head. That's one indication of how well songwriters John Kander and Fred Ebb integrate music and lyrics. And, when they're writing for Broadway, as they have in such shows as "Chicago," "Cabaret" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman," they weave their songs so neatly into the fabric of the shows, they often seem inseparable. Nine years ago, however, Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thompson discovered new and witty contexts for Kander and Ebb's greatest hits, as well as some of their lesser-known gems.

An anniversary qualifies as a good time to throw yourself a party. That's what the Red Branch Theatre Company is doing to mark its fifth season. Its two-night cabaret program on Saturday and Sunday, March 15 and 16, is a chance for the Columbia-based company to musically look back on past shows and also look forward to the shows ahead. "I think we were always a small company with lofty goals," said Managing Director Tiffany Underwood Holmes. "We've done a lot of really good theater in the past five years and brought things that were new and exciting to the area.

Beware of flying crockery. I'm pleased to report that no members of the audience were accidentally beheaded during a recent performance of Le Cabaret de Carmen. That would be carrying the quest for authenticity a bit too far. But at times, it was a close call. Most singers portraying the Gypsy siren Carmen use castanets when they dance. Sophie-Louise Roland uses shards of a plate that she obligingly shatters on stage. At one point, Roland flung her arm so vehemently over her head that a heavy metal bracelet flew off her arm and ricocheted against the wall.

The Gettysburg Festival Where: : Historic downtown Gettysburg, Pa. When: : Thursday through June 28; times vary, depending on venue What: : The 10-day festival is focused on cultural arts, with more than 100 events, featuring more than 800 artists and performers. Highlights include appearances by actor James Earl Jones, celebrity chef Richard Blais of Bravo's Top Chef and sculptor Mike Shaffer, as well as musical and dance performances, children's activities, free classes, art shows and cabaret productions.

By Heather Tepe and Heather Tepe,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | October 31, 2001

WHEN IT comes to volunteers, Juanita Robinson is the tops. As part of the Maryland, You Are Beautiful program, Robinson was named Howard County Volunteer of the Year at a ceremony in Ellicott City on Oct. 4. A resident of Harper's Choice village, Robinson is serving her second term as a member of the village board and is head of the village's Citizens on Patrol group. "She's very involved in the Village of Harper's Choice," said Joy Rose, chairwoman of the village board. "She's been a wonderful asset for us."